


Warm Defiance

by Blondehairstripe



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: F/M, Foe Yay, I always pegged Varian as 16-17 in season 1 so that’s what he is here, Minor whump, Someone gets stabbed, Spite Fluff, Varian being a smug little shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:46:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25889059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blondehairstripe/pseuds/Blondehairstripe
Summary: Frederick doesn’t want Varian to touch his daughter. But with the entire royal family at his mercy and an axe to grind, Varian isn’t about to take orders from the man who’s made his life a living hell. It’s really amazing what spite can drive a person to do.An alternate take on the infamous ‘she’s right, dad’ scene from Secret of the Sundrop.
Relationships: Rapunzel & Varian (Disney), Rapunzel/Varian (Disney)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 46





	Warm Defiance

“She’s right, _dad_ ,” Varian sassed, pushing the king’s oh-so-menacing sword down as he casually leaned an arm on the larger man. Really, it was pathetic that Frederick thought he had any sway here—not when his entire family had so very thoroughly fallen into his trap.

No, the only one who had any say was _Rapunzel_ , and judging by the look of resignation on her face, things were going _just_ the way he wanted.

Varian smirked as he stepped away from Frederick, crossing the distance between father and daughter in a few short steps.

“What’s the matter, princess?” he asked, lifting her chin with a single finger. “Aren’t you happy that you’ll finally be able to keep your promise to me?”

“Get your hands off of my daughter!”

Both Varian and Rapunzel’s heads snapped around to look at the king. While Rapunzel looked shocked at his outburst, Varian’s initial expression of surprise soon morphed into one of intrigue. “And if I don’t?” he asked, shifting his hold slightly to curl his fingers beneath the princess’s jaw and press his thumb to her chin.

“Then you’ll regret ever even laying _eyes_ on her,” Frederick growled, his grip on his sword tightening.

Varian laughed, knowing the king wouldn’t use that sword on him. Not so long as he had the entire royal family under his thumb. “Ha! Seems like I’ve hit a nerve~”

If anyone were to ask him later, Varian wouldn’t be able to pin down exactly what drove him to his next course of action. It might have been petty spite, or maybe it was the thrill of defying a direct order from the king. Or perhaps it was just too golden of an opportunity to miss—a way to show that _he_ was in control while attaining something he’d only dared to consider within the safety of his own imaginings.

Turning his attention back to Rapunzel, he fixed her with a sly grin and used his hold on her chin to pull her closer, their breath mingling as he locked eyes with her. “Well princess, how about we defy dear old dad together?”

Rapunzel’s eyes widened. “Varian, I—”

“Wh-what are you doing?!” Frederick demanded, the color draining from his face as he watched the wretched alchemist handle his daughter _much_ too familiarly. “I command you to _stop_!”

But Varian did _not_ stop, closing the hairsbreadth distance between himself and Rapunzel to press his mouth to hers, even as she released a soft gasp against him. This was the perfect display to show these two royals that they were completely at his mercy, and that he could very well do whatever he pleased with them.

What he _didn’t_ count on was that the instant he sealed his lips to hers, all thoughts of revenge, of manipulation, of using the princess as nothing more than a tool melted away in favor of noticing just how warm and sweet and soft she was—all of the things he’d missed during these past few months of misery and isolation.

He wanted the warmth, he _needed_ it, and his eyes slipped closed as he lost himself to it, to _her_.

He could feel Rapunzel’s fingers curling into the front of his apron and tugging at him, but that only urged him to step further into her, rather than release her as he was sure she wanted. He’d had no idea how much he’d missed human contact, but…even that sensible explanation didn’t quite explain why his stomach was doing summersaults, or why he found himself wondering if he’d been wrong, and maybe there _was_ another way.

A sharp pain just below his ribs snapped him out of his pleasant haze, and he broke the kiss and looked down to see the tip of Frederick’s sword in his side. With a jolt, he realized that he was _bleeding_ , and he stumbled back, clutching at his side as he hissed out a curse. The bastard had actually gone and _stabbed him_ , even knowing what was at stake! Fortunately it wasn’t a deep wound, but it stung like _hell_.

“Dad!” Rapunzel gasped, a hand flying to her mouth in horror. “What have you done?!”

Across the room, Varian could hear Arianna voicing similar sentiments, but that wasn’t important.

Frederick wasn’t given a chance to answer as Varian let out a sardonic chuckle. “Oh, what does it look like, _princess_?” he asked mockingly, his tone much too light for someone who had blood seeping through their shirt, though his grimacing smile showed the truth of the matter. “He’s just proving what a _benevolent_ king he is.”

Sucking in a tight breath, he prodded at the wound and determined that it wasn’t life-threatening. He could take care of it later. But for now…

Straightening, he locked eyes with the royal pair as he pulled a vial of amber liquid out of his apron.

“Y’know, I was actually starting to second guess my methods for a minute there,” he told them conversationally, uncorking the vial as he walked backwards towards where Arianna was chained. “But now? Ha! Now I _know_ it has to be this way.” Stopping just a few feet shy of the queen, he upended the vial over one of the black rocks jutting from the floor. Shards of golden amber sprung from the compound, crackling as they steadily twisted together and towards the queen.

Yes…this was how it had to be. He wouldn’t be taken in by wide green eyes and sweet-smelling softness. He was going to free his father, no matter _what_.


End file.
